Sunday, December 2, 2018

Falling in love isn’t on her to-do list.
Managing a two-hundred acre campground and guiding whitewater trips are enough to fill Hailey White’s lonely days. When acts of vandalism threaten her home and business, she’s forced to ask for help. Her best friend’s brother is the last person she expects to come to her rescue.

One bullet will end all his nightmares forever.
Angry voices in his head, survivor’s guilt, and a busted leg make Walker Carriker wish he were dead. When a roadside bomb ends his career as a Marine, he’s forced to stay with family in the remote mountains of North Carolina. His sister’s best friend is the last person he expects to help him find a reason to live.

She’s bubbly and optimistic, with a smattering of sarcasm.

He’s angry and bitter, with a heaping dose of cynicism.

She talks too much. He has all the answers.

These two are like oil and vinegar, but the more time they spend together, the more they heal.

When he’s lost all faith, can Hailey show Walker there’s Hope on the Horizon?

“Hailey?”
“Yes?”
“Are you always this annoying?”
“Hmm . . .” She paused and toggled her head side to side, pretending to give serious thought to his question. “The honest answer is probably, but only because you don’t really know me.” Satisfied with the bed covers, she straightened to face him. “Walker, here lately my life has been anything but the normal quiet and calm. All these random acts of vandalism have thrown me for a loop. Anymore, I don’t know if I’m comin’ or goin’, so I’m sure I’m probably a little off.” She’d asked him for honesty, and he deserved the same from her. “Tiptoeing around difficult things isn’t my style, but with you, I feel like I need to walk around on eggshells, and I’m not really sure how to do that. If I say this, am I going to hurt his feelings? If I do this, will I damage his ego? I’ve never had a problem with who I am, but being around you makes me question everything.” Her shoulders felt like they carried a thousand pounds. “This situation is just as new for me as it is for you, so forgive me if I make a few mistakes or take a few missteps along the way.”
He dropped his chin and rubbed the back of his neck. His silence unnerved her, so after a long moment—which to her seemed close to eternity—she walked to the door.
“Towels and extra sheets are in the chifforobe. The communal shower is in the long cinder block building we passed on the way in.” The knob in her hand was almost as cold as the atmosphere around her. “Get some sleep, and in the morning, me or Joe will come get you to show you around.”
“Joe your boyfriend?” His voice was scratchy like he hadn’t spoken in weeks.
“Joe’s my uncle, my Guy Friday, and the world’s best handyman, at least that’s what he says. He and I, well, and now you, are the only ones who live on property full-time.”
“Will my being here cause problems?”
“Law mercy, it shouldn’t, but first thing tomorrow, I’ll explain to him what’s going on.”
“Any chance you’d explain to me, too? I’m still not sure I understand.”
“That’s easy.” Her grin was a mile wide. “I needed help, and you’re the sucker who said yes.” Cool air washed over her as she stepped out onto the porch. “I’m going now. See you in the morning.”
As she closed the door, she caught his soft thank you, and for the first time since they’d arrived, she felt a flutter of hope.

Bestselling author Kathryn Crane is a simple country girl who likes to spend time with her family. Born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, she loves to travel, but can't imagine ever leaving the western mountains she's come to call home. She holds Jeremiah 29:11 very close to her heart and believes it with every fiber of her being. She pens Contemporary Southern Romance novels where her endearing characters and their once in a lifetime love stories will 'burn into your memory and bury deep into your soul' long after you put her books down.